Could a Mouthguard Make Riding Easier?

If you’re already looking for a cycling-themed costume for next Halloween, consider this: You can go as a cross between Eddy Merckx and Hannibal Lecter, all while improving your VO2 max and astounding friends with your brilliant “Cannibal” getup.

Of course, we’re talking about wearing a mouthpiece while you ride. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research analyzed 10 well-trained amateur cyclists, and found that wearing a mouthguard during a stationary trainer session improved both VO2 max (the rate at which riders process oxygen) and respiratory threshold (the point at which breathing becomes labored). The study’s authors believe improved jaw positioning may be behind the performance boost.

Despite researchers’ concern prior to the test that the mouthguards would hamper breathing, the study showed that there was no change in riders’ respiratory rate, ventilation, or oxygen uptake at peak effort. That said, the guards were custom made for each cyclist—so we don’t recommend running out to your local sporting goods store for a piece of equipment designed for, say, hockey players.

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